Pages

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

1. Who won the first battle of the War of Independence?
The Massachusetts Militiamen won the Battle of Lexington and Concord when they forced the British to retreat from Concord back to Boston. The British were trying to confiscate colonial arms from a depot at Concord. The battle, which took place on the night of April 18-19, 1775, was the first military encounter of the American Revolution (1775-83)

2.On what hill did the Battle of Bunker Hill take place?
It took place not on Bunker Hill but on Breed's Hill, on June 17, 1775. The opposing forces were supposed to engage on Bunker Hill, but for unknown reasons the soldiers dug in on the smaller sight, about 2,000 feet away. To straighten things out for visitors, Breed's Hill was later renamed Bunker Hill.

3.What did John Hancock (1737-93) do to earn his place as president of the Continental Congress?
His most distinctive contribution to the rebel cause was the money. Hancock was a merchant who had inherited a fortune from a smuggler uncle. He used his wealth to help finance the revolution. He is best remembered now for his flamboyant signature on the Declaration of Independence in 1776. After the war, Hancock became governor of Massachusetts.

4. How many grievances against the king were named in the Declaration of Independence?
The document cited 27 separate grievances against the king of Great Britain, George III. These grievances included refusing his assent to "wholesom" laws, making judges dependent on "his will alone," and bringing in foreign mercenaries to wage war on the colonies in a way "totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation."

5. Was Paul Revere of British decent?
The Revolutionary War patriot (1735-1818) was only 50 percent British. Revere's father was French silversmith Apollos Rivoire, a Huguenot (Portestant) refugee from the persecution by the Catholic authorities in france. Revere's mother, Deborah Hitchbourn, was of English descent.

6. How cold was it at Valley Forge?
Overall, the winter was fairly mild in 1777-78 when George Washington and his Continental Army were encamped at this site 22 miles northwest of Philadelphia. There was heavy snow and freezing weather in Christmas week but a thaw in January. What made conditions miserable was lack of adquate food, clothing, and shelter due to negligence and mismanagement by the Continental Congress and the commissary department. It is estimated that 2,500 of 10,000 soldiers died of disease and exposure during this period.

7. Who was Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier?
He was the French nobleman better known to history as the Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834). In 1777, at the age of 19, Lafayette came to America to volunteer in the Revolutionary War. Idealistic and adventurous, he was appointed a major-general and helped to secure military assistance from France.

8. Long Island, White Plains, Bennington, Monmouth, and Cowpens are all battles of the American Revolution. Which battles from this list did the Americans win?The Americans won the battles at Bennington and Cowpens.

9. Who was Molly Pitcher?
She was Mary McCauley Hays, (1754-1832), heroine of the American Revolution. She entered her nickname during the Battle of Monmouth in 1778, when she fetched water for her husband and his gun crew. After her husband suffered a wound, she took over for him, helping the gun crew do its job. Afget the war, she was given a yearly pension of $40 by the Pennsylvania Assembly.

10. How many countries did the British fight during the American War of Independence?
By 1780, the British were fighting not only to the United States and its ally France, but also Spain, the Netherlands, and the ruler of Mysore in India. The conflicts were not all related to American independence, but they did keep the British busy on many fronts, aiding the U.S. cause.

11. What became of British general Charles Cornwallis (1738-1805)?In the U.S., Cornwallis's main claim to fame was his surrender to the Americans and French at Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781, a turning point that effectively ended the war. But Cornwallis's career of enforcing British imperial rule was far from over. He went on to become Governor General of India (1786-94, 1805) and viceroy of Ireland (1798-1801).

12. Who were the American diplomats who negotiated the treaty that ended the Revolutionry War?
Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay negotiated for the United States. The Treaty of Paris, ending the war and recognizing American independence, was signed on February 3, 1783.

13. Who was the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence?
Charles Caroll of Carrollton, Maryland. Born in 1737, he was 95 years old when he died in 1832.

These questions and answers have not been totally verified for accuracy by EHT. There were taken directly from the book Questions From American History, The New York Public Library Book of Answers by Melinda Corey and George Ochoa

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

14 comments:

I loved when my Dad was helping my 5th grade son study for a quiz and asked him "What were the battles of Lexington and Concord fought over?" And I looked at my son and said, "Honey, he's going to say the grapes!"

Your list has given me a great idea for my kiddos! Having them create such a list for certain topics to compile into a mini trivia encylopedia website might ignite the fires in some of my least interested!